Video #1 Transcript: Introduction & Materials

Hi, my name is Eugenia Jones. My name is Robert M. Taylor. My name is Sam Durbin.

We are certified trainers with Feeling Safe, Being Safe webcast.

We will help you prepare for emergency or disaster.

We are members of the California Department of Developmental Services Consumer Advisory Committee.

Our committee created the Feeling Safe, Being Safe tools, so people across our state, the country and other places would be prepared in an emergency.

Hello.

Welcome to the Feeling Safe, Being Safe webcast.

I'm Carol Risley, chief of the Office of Human Rights and Advocacy Services for the State Department of Developmental Services.

Funded by Homeland Security, the Federal Government and the California State Government recognized that people with disabilities designed their own materials that best met their needs.

And in doing so, also met the needs of their neighbors, their families and their friends.

Hi, I'm Karen Leventhal.

I'm here from the Tarjan Center, which is a university center for excellence in developmental disabilities located at UCLA. And we work with a group of people, individuals who have disabilities, family members, service providers who care about preparing people for emergencies. And they have some questions that I'm gonna ask Carol right now.

So, Carol, I know your team has spent a lot of time researching information on emergency preparedness, and you've learned about what works and what doesn't work so well.

So, tell us why is Feeling Safe, Being Safe a good approach.

Karen, I think the reason it's a good approach is, one, it was put together by people with disabilities who understand what's important to them as opposed to what we think is important to them.

I think the other thing is it's simple. It's a Think, Plan, Do approach. You don't have to remember a lot.

And the third item is, people told us, they don't want to be scared, they want to be prepared.

Our training will teach you how to use these tools, so you can feel safe, be safe and show others how to be prepared.

Every year, people are in situations that could be dangerous, especially if they have not planned what to do ahead of time.

Having access to medical care, food, shelter and help with personal needs from local community resources during a disaster or emergency helps ensure safety.

It is your responsibility to do what you can to be prepared.

Feeling safe and being safe is an easy way to take charge.

In our local communities, unfortunately, many people are not prepared for an emergency or disaster.

They do not have a plan, supplies or community support to stay safe.

Hi, I'm Marcia. And I'm John. And we're a couple who lives in Southern California.

In 1994, we had a real wake-up call with the Northridge Earthquake. And other earthquakes that followed.

This is true.

We have been introduced to Think, Plan, Do and Feeling Safe, Being Safe when we watched a DVD that was provided to us.

And that is a wonderful tool to help not only us but people in our communities to be prepared for a disaster or an emergency.

So, what we are doing is we're introducing this process to groups that we belong to, to make everybody aware that there are things they can do to be prepared in an emergency.

Professionals working in the field of emergency preparedness tell us that you have to be ready to be on your own for three to five days after a disaster strikes.

This means knowing what to do, being connected to neighbors and having emergency supplies.

It is important to be prepared for an emergency because we don't want to be stuck.

It's been common knowledge that for the first three days or something, maybe, if there's a major catastrophe, we might not be able to get help to us, so it's very, very important to have supplies that will sustain us.

Being prepared is very important not only for me as an individual but also for my family.

Our Feeling Safe, Being Safe training shows you how to make your own plan, an emergency kit, and ways to connect with your neighbors in case of an emergency.

You will learn how to be prepared and how to help others using the Feeling Safe, Being Safe tools.

To create a plan, we use Think, Plan, Do.

Think.

Think about what's important.

Create your own plan, do it, take action.

Let's look at the red folder in the Feeling Safe, Being Safe materials.

The worksheet, a magnet, and a Feeling Safe, Being Safe DVD will guide our learning today.

At the end of this video, please complete the Discussion Questions, and then click 2, Being Prepared